making your own nymphing leaders

[somersetian]

I have been reading a lot about using straight mono for nymphing leaders, straight 5 to 3x tippet for nymphing leaders or a combination of both. I understand the reason for this is to get your flies down as fast as possible, and to get a better drift. I also understand that this will make casting more difficult, but if it helps catch more fish I'm willing to try it. Any thoughts or advice on where to start and what to try?

 

[pcray1231]

I only do this generally if I know I'm gonna be nymphing all day. If, say, I'm expecting a hatch and a switch to dries at some point, I just nymph with my dry fly leader commonly

But yeah. I leave the same butt on, and then just tie on about 7 ft of typically 3x tippet. I may put 4x or 5x on for the last 6-12 inches, if I feel it's necessary. Still it's all tippet. The only reason for being lighter on the end than the rest of the leader is snags. If you have to break it you're less likely to lose a large % of your leader.

It works for the right situation. That situation is when casting isn't difficult, you don't need to be pinpoint accurate, cast all that far, or have any obstructions, and you are gonna have trouble getting deep enough given the depth and current in the water. The cast is more of a lob.

 

[somersetian]

I like the idea of some lighter tippet for snags, and using recycled leaders for the butt section. Water conditions around here will call for a lot of all nymph fishing days in the near future. This is basically the reason behind my original post.

 

[lv2nymph]

I feel your pain man, when I first started playing with tight line nymphing and was looking into leader make ups it was nuts.
lengths and styles and kinds all over the board. So I ended going with what was termed a "standard" length of leader, X amount from fly line to indicator/sighter then X length of sighter, then x length of tippet. As I nymphed I found that my arms/ shoulder grew tired quickly as the day went along. I started playing with the length of the leader from fly line to sighter to find one that didn't wear me out but was still suitable for nymphing. I read that George D. uses 3-4' of tippet from his sighter down to the point fly and that handles most of the water here in Pa. if it doesn't you adjust from there. So I used that length and a foot of sighter as a starting point and built the rest from there. Through a lot of trial & error I found that for my build, arm length/height using a ten foot rod that 5' of leader from the fly line to the sighter 1' of sighter and 3-4' of tippet ( this length sometimes boarders on 5') was ideal for me and the different depths of water that I've encountered in my fishing. I then knew I had to make the leader "casting" friendly for dries, wets, & streamers.

This is the leader formula that I eventually came up with:
18" 35lb
14" 25lb
11" 20lb
10" 15.5lb
7" 13.5lb
12" 10lb sighter
then 3-4' tippet that's the same diameter to quickly get your flies down to the bottom ( some or none of your sighter and tippet is really the only thing under water) that fact lead me to taper my leader down to the sighter with confidence.

Make sure your tippet material is not stronger than your sighter, that way if you break off it will usually be below the sighter and only tippet will be lost.

This does it all for me, is it the "perfect" dry fly leader? Nope, but then I don't do a lot of dry fly fishing.
Hope this helps you out, good luck.

 

[somersetian]

helps greatly thanks for the response.

 

[lv2nymph]

No problem. I did forget to mention that I carry the rest of the leader (tippet) in a leader wallet already put together to make a very nice dry fly leader out of my nymphing leader. Also, I use tippet rings to attach my sighter to the leader at both ends. That way if/when you change to a different tippet you don't shorten your sighter when you do. The tippet rings in no way effect the cast or presentation of the fly.

 

[Bart]

I like using fluorocarbon for nymphing leaders (lots of advantages).
Depending on my rig I may use up to 8' of 6lbs FC then switch to tippet material.
But to each his own.
Good luck.
Bart

 

[FlyMaster99]

For a beginner I would recommend looking up a video on youtube, but just taper from about 5x down to 3x or somewhere along those lines, just keep waiting for responses, sooner or later you'll figure it out on your own what the best leader for you is.

 

[PennKev]

Are you talking about indicator nymphing or tight line nymphing?

Either way you should probably have a heavier butt section, a lighter mid section, then attach tippet at the end. This stepped down arrangement will prevent you from losing your indicator every time you snag and break off

Try the following for conventional strike indicator rigs: 4 or 5' butt of plain ol' 20 or 25lb mono, a 5-6' section of 2, 3, or 4x attached to the butt via a loop to loop connection, then appropriate size and length of tippet attached to the mid section with your favorite knot. If you know you are going to be using heavier tippet, start with a heavier mid section, a lighter mid section if you know you are going to be using lighter tippet. 3x is a good all round size since it ties easily to 4x and 5x tippets which are probably the most common sizes for trout fishing. Indicators should usually be placed on the butt section for the reason I previously mentioned. Adjust indicator position for changes in fishing depth. Length of the mid section can also be adjusted for fishing very deep or very shallow. Even with the heavy butt, the light mid section should let your flies get down pretty quickly. The heavy butt will protect your indicator and also make casting and mending easier as it will be able to transmit enough power to overcome the air and water resistance of the indicator.

If you are talking about tight line nymphing then you should probably follow one of the leader formulas for those techniques. They usually have fairly light butts and mids but they are still heavy enough so that breaking off only results in the loss of the tippet.

Kev

 

[somersetian]

Well I tied a couple and got out on the water finally. The one that worked best for me was about 3 ft of 15 lb mono, 1 ft of 10 lb mono, 5 ft 3x tippet, 1 ft of 5x tippet. (lengths were all estimated). I fished a single nymph with an adjustable indicator on the 15lb mono. I liked this setup because I had roughly 4 ft to move the indicator, and could also just add some 5x if I was in a deep run. The knot from the 3 to 5 was a great place to add weight. I only caught 2 but for the conditions I was pleased with the outing.

 

[lv2nymph]

Well done.